On The Fly: Cavaliers Fire Mike Brown ... Again

So do you feel bad for Mike Brown or not? I mean, the man has been fired twice by the same team (Cleveland Cavaliers) and got fired five games into the season with the Lakers last season. But he has four years left on his five-year, $20 million Cleveland contract, with the first four years guaranteed. And the Lakers are still paying him. Um, Mike, seriously, how about a long vacation somewhere? You deserve it. Brown, who was fired Monday by the same team that fired him in 2010, guided the Cavaliers to a 33-49 record this past season, but he is the second winningest coach (305-187) in Cavaliers' history behind Lenny Wilkens (who is in the Hall of Fame, with a 316-258 record in Cleveland) and ahead of Bill Fitch (304-434) and Mike Fratello (248-212).

Sometimes you just wonder if there is any good news coming out of Rutgers at all. On Saturday night Philip Nelson, a highly recruited quarterback who had transferred from Minnesota to Rutgers in January, allegedly kicked another football player in the head outside a bar and was arrested and charged with assault. According to the police report, Isaac Kolstead, 24, was knocked down by an unknown assailant and then allegedly kicked in the head by Nelson, 20, causing critical injuries. Doctors aren't sure if Kolstead, who played at Minnesota State-Mankato, will survive. According to nj.com, Nelson was upset because a bouncer flirted with his girlfriend.

The two most popular NFL rookie shirts sold by NFLShop.com, according to ESPN.com, are Johnny Manziel and Michael Sam. The NFL's official on-line store so far has sold nearly as many Manziel jerseys during the draft as it did for Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Tim Tebow combined, although the exact number was not available. Manziel was drafted 22nd by the Cleveland Browns. Sam, the first openly gay football player ever drafted, by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round, is No. 2 in shirt sales.

Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome was shipped from Churchill Downs to Pimlico Monday morning to get ready for the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, this Saturday. "Everything is perfect, I couldn't ask for anything more," said assistant trainer Alan Sherman, son of head trainer Art Sherman, of the colt's workouts in Louisville.

Landon Donovan, 32, could play in his fourth World Cup this summer. Donovan made the preliminary 30-man roster for the U.S. team, which will start practice Wednesday in Palo Alto. The rosters must be cut to 23 by June 2. The U.S. will play three exhibition games before heading to Brazil, where the team will face Ghana in the first game on June 16.